Withering Magnolia
by Pinkiex
Summary: A withering magnolia held onto her last few breaths awaiting her beloved prince.


**Withering Magnolia.**

Disclaimer: Bu Bu Jing Xin belongs to Tong Hua. Credits to translators at Viki for the translation of the letter.

Summary: A withering magnolia held onto her few last breaths awaiting her beloved prince.

* * *

Cold breezy wind blew softly into Yang Xin Dian, gently caressing his face. Closing the document shut, he sighed inwardly as he opened another document to read, placing the closed one atop of the stack of documents on his left.

Gao Wu Yong was startled when Yong Zheng Huang Shang suddenly let out a sharp painful gasp. Immediately attending to him, he saw Yong Zheng grasping his left shoulder. Gao Wu Yong offered to call the Imperial Physician but Yong Zheng declined. With a flick of his wrist, Yong Zheng dismissed the eunuch and stared at the document laid open before his eyes, his hand absentmindedly massaging his shoulder. Without realizing, his mind slowly drifted into unconsciousness, falling asleep.

"Huang Shang."

That voice. How could he ever forget the beautiful melodic sound and ever so gentle voice of hers? Yong Zheng's eyelids fluttered open, and he found himself staring at the person standing in the middle of the room. _His person._

"Huang Shang."

The gentle smile on her face, that he'd never forgotten ever since it was etched deep inside his mind 2 decades ago, made his heart skipped a beat. He pushed himself off the seat and walked towards her. Nearing her, his eyes misted with tears. Did she miss him as much as he did her? Did she know his heart ached every single day for her? Yong Zheng closed his eyes as his arms enveloped Ruo Xi into an embrace, their bodies molded against each other. He felt safe once again with her back in his arms. As soon as he felt her in his arms, she was gone again.

Straightening himself on the seat, Yong Zheng looked around frantically for her. There was no one in the hall of Yang Xin Dian except him. His hand gripped hard on the table. He realized that it was just a dream, he had fallen asleep. His knuckles were white as the grip tightened. He felt as if there was a bottomless pit of hollowness in his stomach.

"Ruo Xi…"

How was she doing out there, away from this cage? As much as he did not want to admit it, his heart pained whenever he thought about how _happy_ 14th brother must be to have _his_ Ruo Xi by his side. Looking at the empty fine china tea cup on the table, his fingers caressed it gently. His mind was preoccupied with vivid memories of their short-lived heaven together. What had happened to them? 10 years of longing hearts and being apart, finally reunited yet he didn't even get to spend 2 full years with her. Why was fate cruel to him? To them? To Ruo Xi, the only woman he had ever loved wholeheartedly?

The candles in the lamps that were lighting up the place flickered as cold harsh mid spring wind entered the place. Yong Zheng shivered, rubbing his arms closed to him. The sudden sound of an envelop landing on the floor echoed throughout the hall. Looking down to the right from the table, his eyes were pasted on the piece of brown envelop on the floor. He turned his head around again as he heard whisperings of her voice. There was still no one except his ownself in the hall.

_"Huang Shang."_

His mind registered it late. His legs had already brought him off the seat and onto the floor near the envelop. His lips were pressed into a thin line as his eyes recognized the penmanship on the letter. _14th brother._

_"Huang Shang, 14th Prince requested someone to deliver this letter by express."_

He bent down and lifted the envelop off the floor. Anger seeped through his vein as he remembered the poem that 14th Prince had sent him once. _The audacity of 14th brother!_ Yong Zheng ripped the letter open in one go and pulled out the content, sitting again on the golden throne. It was_ another_ envelop. Taking it out, his chest tightened when he saw the writing on the envelop addressed to him. It was _his_ writing. Gaining his composure back, he immediately opened up the envelop and found a couple of letters inside it. His eyes scanned through the letters in one swift and found Ruo Xi's name signed at the end of the 3rd paper.

"Ruo Xi…"

His eyes were blurred by tears as his heart swelled looking at the penmanship. Each of her strokes were similar to his. Reading the opening address of the letter, a gentle smile crossed his face. _Si Ye._ Slowly, he absorbed each and every word written by the love of his life.

_"When someone told me calmly that he wanted the throne, he already held the key to my heart. When he threw away the umbrella, enduring, and suffering under the rain with me, I opened the door to my heart completely for him. When he protected me using his own body to block the arrow, I would never forget him in this life. Everything that happened after that only drew me in deeper. Having said that, do you still need to ask about 8th Prince?"_

A sob escaped his throat as he looked up from the letter, a lone tear rolled down his cheek. _My darling, Ruo Xi. How could I doubted your love?_ He continued reading the remaining words.

_"Everyday, I will wait for your arrival."_

The words on the letter were blurry as tears clouded his eyes. He needed to see her. He needed to see her, _now_. He needed to tell her how much he loved her. How much he missed her. How much he longed for her ever since they parted ways last year. He wanted to hold her safe in his arms again. He wanted to see her.

* * *

Her weak hand gently traced the hairpin as tears blurred her vision. An exquisite jade magnolia hairpin decorated her updo. Ruo Xi never felt as tired as she currently was. Even the busiest coldest days in the laundry department had never exhausted her this much. Now, to remain awake seems to be too big of a task for her weak body. She let her head rested on Qiao Hui's arm as her mind slipped out of consciousness. She did not know how much time had passed by before she felt a soft touch on her cheeks. Had he finally come? Had he finally read her letters_?_

"Si Ye…"

Ruo Xi fought hard to open her heavy eyelids. It took her a few seconds to recognize the face in in front of her. Tears streaming down her cheeks, her eyes met the pair of eyes she had longed to see ever since she left the Forbidden City. His eyes were filled with tears. The sides of his eyes wrinkled as a handsome albeit sad smile appeared on his face.

"Ruo Xi…"

Her 4th Prince has finally came.

* * *

In the private quarters of 14th Ce'fujin, lied two persons whose hearts were in agonizing pain as much as they were overflowing with the deepest love. Her hands, intertwined with his, were holding tightly onto a white magnolia flower. He breathed in the flowery scent of her hair, his arms enveloped her close to his body. No words were needed as they conversed with such deep raw emotions through each other's eyes. The windows of the room were opened, overlooking the courtyard where the beautiful peach blossoms were dancing gracefully, beaten by the soft breezy wind. Yet neither was appreciating the beauty of the blooming flowers as they only had eyes for each other.

It was a beautiful day of mid spring, the 3rd lunar month of the 3rd year of Yong Zheng. At the young age of 35 years old, Maertai Ruo Xi succumbed to her illness and passed away peacefully in the arms of the man who owned her heart, her love, and her soul. As the white magnolia blossom gently fell off her hand and onto his lap, the heart of her beloved Yin Zhen, the 4th Prince, shattered into pieces. And he never cried harder for his loss.

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading, and even more thanks for reviewing.


End file.
